Clasp



(No ModeL) -J BEDFORD.

GLASP. A 286 991 Patented Oct. 23, 1883. No.

. e :WENT-0T..

ATTEST m Mg j, ww l UNirnD STATES PATENT Dreier.-

JOsnrH F. BEDFORD, or CINCINNATI, OHIO.

CLASP.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Fatent No. 286,991, dated October23, 1883.

Application filed July 9, 1893.

T 'all wiz/0771. it may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOsnPH F. BEDFORD, a resident of Cincinnati, in thecounty of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new anduseful Improvement; in Clasps frr Fastening Cuffs andother Clothing, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My inyention relates to mechanism for clasp ing various articles ofclothing, and is very advantageously employed as a cuff-fastener, towhich application I have devoted the larger portion of the drawings.

The objects and advantages ofthe various features of my invention willbe apparent from the following description:

Referring to the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure lis a top view of a clasp embodying my -invention and combined with theornamental face or piece usually con stituting the outer side or portionof the cuffbutton. Fig. r2 is an end view of the device shown in Fig. 1,illustrating the application of my invention. Figs. 3 and 4: illustratethe application of my invention to a cuff or to articles of clothing.Fig. 5 represents the clasp without ornament and in condition to beused, generally, as a clothing-clasp. Fig. Gis a longitudinal sectionthrough the clasp. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through the claspclosed. Fig. 8 is the same longitudinal section, a bntton beingconnected to one of the levers.

The clasping device consists of an S-spring, A, made of a narrow stripof spring metal, and by reason of the shape of this spring two recesses,a a', are formed, opening in opposite directions at or near the ends ofthe spring A. At the openings of the recesses a a are pivoted the leversB B. The lever B works on a pivot or fulcrum, m, located near one end ofthelever. This lever is provided with a flange or suitable projection,b, rigid with thelever and connected to that end of the lever near whichis ful crum mi. When the lever B lies ilat on the, clasp, (see Fig. 7the iiange b engages with that side, n, of the central portion of theS-spring or clasp which is nearest to said flange. free end of lever Bis lifted and the lever-is moved back, as in Figs. 3 or 6, the iiange nolonger engages the side n, but is moved away from the spring. A At theopposite side of the clasp to where lever B is located is lever B,

(No model.)

working on a fulcrum, m', located near one end of the lever. This leveris provided' with a iiange or suit-able projection, b', and whenthelever lies flat on the clasp (see Fig. 7) this iiange engages withthe side n of the central portion of the spring or clasp. lVhen thislever B' is raised, the flange b is removed from that side n of theclasp which is before engaged. Vhen the levers are opened or moved awayfrom the spring, the recesses a a. are open, as shown in Fig. 6. Thesides of the ends of the spring to which the levers B B are pivoted arepreferably providedwith flanges b2, which iianges will respectivelyconceal the levers B B when the latter are closed down upon the spring.The fulcra of t-he levers B B may be supported in any suitable mannerand by any suitable means. A convenient mode of supporting them is toconnect them, as shown, to flanges b2. Thus these flanges will thenperform the double function of supporting the fulcra of the levers, andalso conceal the latter when closed down on the spring. y

The mode in which my invention operates is as follows: The levers B Bfirst, by-having been opened out, (see Figs. 3 and 6,) one edge of thecuff or similar article-as a collar--to be clasped is inserted, and theother edge of the cuff or collar is inserted in recess a in the recessesa.. W'here twoarticles are to be connected together, the edge of onearticle is inserted in recess a and the edge of the other article inrecess a. 'The levers B B are now closed down and the article orarticles are thus clamped Vbetween the ends of anges b b on the leversand the opposite sides of the recessesviz., sides h u, respectively-asshown in Figs. 2, 4, and 7.

lf desired, the ends of the flanges b b may be provided with teeth orserrations, which will prevent any tendency the article may have, tocome or slip out of the recesses. h When the clasp is to be used as afastener for cuffs or similar articles, atop, C, of any desired pattern,is preferably secured to one of the leversB or B', and when connectedtothe cuff it will present the appearance of an ordinary cuffbutton.

By the above construction the clasp may be connected to the ends of thecuff without passing through any button-holes or other openings in thecuff, and yet the cuff will be iirmly held. f

ing articles of clothing other than cuffs, the top C may, if desired, beomitted. Vhen the top C is present, it may be secured to the lever B orB in any suitable manner. This top C may be a button or hook, (see Fig.8,) to which an article of clothing, Svc., may be connected, the claspin the meanwhile holding a cuil', collar, or other article or articlesof clothing. (See Fig. 8.)

Vhat I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is as follows: l

l. A clotliingclasp consisting of a doublecurved or S spring, formingtwo recesses opening in opposite directions, and clamp-levers havingfulcra connected to the reverse ends of said spring, near the openingsof said recesses, the pivoted ends of said levers being formed to engagethose portions of said spring which are opposite to its ends,substantially as and for the purposes specied.

2. The Sspring A, forming the recesses a a', in combination-with thelevers B B, having pivots or fulera connected to the ends cf saidspring, near the openings of said recesses, each Vhen the clasp is to beemployed for fastenof the levers being provided withiianges I), adaptedto oppose the side of the recess which 3o is opposite to the end of thespring to which the lever is pivoted, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

3. The S-spring A, forming the recess a a', and consisting of theportions A and side 3 5 iianges, b2, in combination with the levers BB', having pivots or fulcra connected to the ends of the iianges nearthe openings of said recess7 each of the levers being provided withflanges I), adapted to oppose the side of the recess 4o which isopposite to the end of the spring to which the lever is pivoted,substantially as and for the purposes specified. Y Y

Il. The herein-described cuff and clothing clasp, consisting of anS-spring, A, forming 45 recesses a a', and the clamp-levers BB', formedsubstantially as described and pivoted to the ends of the spring nearthe openings of said recesses, a top, C, being secured to one of saidlevers, substantially as and for the purposes 5o specified.

JOSEPH F. BEDFORD.

Vitn esses:

J. WM. STREHLI O. M. HILL.V

